Bright Spots

As is usual for me this time of year, I am starting to feel the effects of the cold, snowy, dreary weather and being cooped up inside. Cabin fever, if you will. February and March are generally my least favorite months of the year. I struggle with my mood, and my motivation to do anything.

We’ve had a couple of low-key weekends recently, though, which has done wonders for my feelings about balance. I feel like I have had nice doses of quality time with my girls, who are bright spots in an otherwise “blah” time of year.

Nora has been really, really funny lately. We’ve had some serious challenges with her (maybe more on that another time?), but she’s also so amazing, all at the same time.

“Mommy, do you love me?”

She randomly asked me this on the way to daycare one morning this week. Heart = busted. I briefly wondered why she was asking—could she really be insecure about my love for her?—but the fact is that she’s learning a lot these days about feelings and emotions. Love, anger, happiness, sadness. It’s tough to be three-and-a-half, you know.

“What are we having for dinner?”

She asks every day when I pick her up from daycare. She is interested in knowing, always. If I say leftovers, she’ll ask, “What kind of leftovers?” That’s the other thing about her recent development—she asks good questions. Questions that you or I might ask, too. It’s rather strange hearing such “adult” questions coming from someone who I still see as so little.

Some days, I’ll pick her up from Mary’s and she talks my ear off the entire way home. Like will.not.shut.up. It’s hysterical. And her memory is insane. She remembers everything. She’s getting better at her pronunciation of words, although she can still sometimes be difficult to understand. It’s funny how there are some words she just can’t seem to say clearly, yet she belts out words like “quesadilla” with authority, loud and clear.

“Mommy, what is that amazing smell?”

She asked while we were baking brownies. When did my baby become such a… person?

I had to work really late on Tuesday night, so the girls were both in bed by the time I got home. On Wednesday morning, Nora came into our room to get me up out of bed. She said “Mommy, you’re home!” and came in to snuggle with me. I asked her if she missed me, “Yeah,” she said. “But Daddy take good care of me. He fed me quesadilla for dinner!” How stinking cute is that??

I’m going to have to try to get better about jotting down her “Nora-isms” again, because she comes out with some seriously good ones these days. I would definitely have enough material for a weekly post. I HAVE to try harder. Besides the occasional Facebook post with a quote from her, or texting my mom, I haven’t jotted down any of her quotes since before Vivienne was born. *sigh* Time just flies, y’all.

I just wrote all about Vivienne in her six-month post, so I don’t have too much to add here. Just that she’s happy and smiley and adorable and fun. She is such a joy and I am doing everything I can to soak it all in while she still lets me hold her and snuggle her a lot of the time. She’s really into her toys now and actually plays. Crazy how that happens.

We’ve had a lot of time on the weekends to just play. Hang out. Be together. Take family trips to Wegmans for the weekly grocery shopping.

It’s all mundane, but so precious all at the same time. I want spring to be here, but I also don’t want to wish away the days, weeks, and months.

We’ve been achieving “dual naps” most Saturdays and Sundays. Amazing to have that time back. Sometimes we take advantage to get things done—cleaning, shopping (only one of us!), or whatever. Other times? Not so much. Butt? Meet couch.

There are a few house projects that could use some attention. A few more doors to paint upstairs. Our master bathroom needs some paint and a mini makeover (fixtures, mirror, and the like). Our basement needs organizing.

I should exercise. I have a perfectly nice treadmill downstairs on which I can complete a Couch to 5K program. Because lord knows I need to start at the “couch” part these days.

But blahhhhh motivation. Winter makes me lazy.

On Sunday, we “celebrated” the Super Bowl with a pajama party picnic in our family room. Just the four of us. Michael and I made some killer nachos (no cheese, though) and Nora had leftover quesadillas from when we went out to dinner the night before. Nora was SO EXCITED about the picnic, and even acted excited about the football. Such a goof. The next day, she asked me if we can have a picnic in the living room again sometime, so clearly she had fun.

Vivienne went to bed during the first quarter, and I put Nora to bed during halftime. Living large in this house! But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I want winter to be gone, but I don’t want it to take these moments with it. I’m going to focus on my bright spots.